Customer Reviews

Vampirates 2: Tide of Terror

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Short Attention Span Summary (SASS) of book one:

1. Twins escape horrid fate
2. Fate decides to give it another shot
3. They get separated at sea
4. One gets to talk like a pirate every day
5. The other's with a crew that sucks
6. Reunited, and it feels so good


Following right on the heels of Demons of the Ocean, "Tide of Terror" opens with a night surfer aggressively riding the waves of a deserted cove until the very waves give up the fight, depositing him gently on the sandy shore. Within a few pages however, we learn that this is no ordinary surfer, as the unexpected appearance of a brilliant moonbeam sways him from his intended mission.

Meanwhile, back on The Diablo .....

"Sound the cannon!"
A pirate attack
By eights and by fours
Time to plunder and sack

Victory cries
Soon silenced for good
An error of judgment
The target withstood

Following this great debacle, Connor and Grace (who are both aboard the pirate ship "The Diablo") have to make a tough career decision. Connor needs little convincing, but Grace feels her heart tugging in another direction, towards the Vampirate ship and Lorcan, the vampire who sacrificed his future to protect her.

A temporary respite is granted as the twins are permitted a one week all-expenses-paid trip to the Pirate Academy, where they renew an acquaintance and make some new ones. Despite his early misconceptions, Connor adapts easily to the Academy way of life, and impresses the tutors with his piratical prowess.

Meanwhile, on the Vampirate ship ......

Things are NOT going well.


Although this is a continuation of the first book, there's enough background information to make it possible to enjoy this even if you haven't read the first (but you really SHOULD read it anyway). Book two is a little slower, and more predictable, but there are both page-turning moments and dramatic twists, setting the stage for book three, Blood Captain.

Recommended for swash-buckling, blood-thirsty readers from nine and up.




Amanda Richards, October 3, 2008

If you were a fan of 'Demons of the Ocean' - and I highly recommend reading that prior to digging into 'Tide of Terror' - there are a couple of things to keep in mind about this second installment in the series. First, this story definitely focuses on Connor; both twins are aboard the Diablo, and Connor is learning to live the pirate life. And while Grace adopts a happy front for her brother, she misses the vampirate captain and finds herself constantly thinking about Lorcan. For me, the emotional underpinning of 'Demons' was entirely wrapped up in Grace and Lorcan; the vampirate's absence in 'Tide of Terror' sucks a little of that emotion out, but there's enough to sustain the story, and there's certainly the promise of what is to come.

Now, because both twins are in the same place for the majority of the novel the narration doesn't swap between them; this, unfortunately, does not lend the story the same sense of tension and urgency, but it doesn't detract from the need to consume the book, either. One of the best things about the Vampirates series is that you come to care a great deal about the characters; you want to know more, to follow them on their journeys, no matter what. After I finished this one I couldn't wait for 'Blood Captain' - it's really, really good, by the way - and now the wait until the next installment will seem even longer.

I've had great success recommending this series to younger readers; each one came back and asked for the next, which is surely a benchmark of Somper's success.

My 10 year old son loved the fitst Vampirates book. He is thoroughly enjoing this the 2nd in the series.

Tide of Terror is great! I love to read and the Vampirates Series is easy reading, with great plots! I would recommend these books to anyone who likes to read and even those who don't.

My son says this is one of the best books he has ever read. I can't wait to read it myself.

The sequel to Vampirates: Demons of the Ocean lacks some of its original charm, but is something to try. It picks up a few weeks after the first book ended with Conner and Grace on board Capt. Wraith's Diablo. Conner is having the time of his life as a member of Wraith's crew, while Grace is torn between wanting to be with her brother and her longing to return to the ship she'd been rescued from-- the ship pirated by vampires, otherwise known as Vampirates.

When tragedy strikes one of the Diablo's crew, both Conner and Grace begin to rethink life on the Diablo. Through a series of events, the twins are offered a chance to stay at the pirate academy for a week and check out the school. Will Conner choose the Pirate Academy over life at the sea? And what direction will Grace go in all of this? Will she choose her brothers dream over her own desire to return to her Vampirate friends?

This is definitely Conner's book. Where as the first book separated characters stories by chapter, this does not. Character time is less even than Demons and Grace's storyline is minor compared to Conner's.

Tides of Terror still has that `can't put down' feeling found in its predecessor, but also has that middle story feeling. Just like other trilogies, Tides has a lot of set up for book three and brings up even more unanswered mysteries.

Overall, Tides of Terror is a good sequel that opens up many possibilities for future books. It lacks some of the feeling in Demons, but is a must read for any Vampirates fans.

I loooooove this book :) The whole series is amazing I cant wait for the last one to come out!

Tide of Terror, the second book in the Vampirates series is a thrilling ride full a more pirates, action, adventure, betrayals, and more! For me, it was fast paced. Best of all, there was a little more about the vampirates although I would have liked to see more (and that is what the sequels are for).

Connor and Grace were together for the most part in this book, but you can see that they are destined for different paths. Connor wants to be a pirate. In fact, he excels at everything pirate related. He even has visions of being a captain in the future. Grace, on the other hand, longs for the Vampirate ship and Lorcan, her vampirate friend. That being said, she does some pretty crazy things to try to get back on the ship. From jumping into the harbor to taking "spirit journeys" to visit the ship. From Connor's visions to Grace's "spirit journeys," I am curious to discover if the twins have some sort of special powers that they are not aware of.

The only parts I didn't like were the few parts where I was like "Wow, that's lame." An example is when Connor and his friend, Jacoby, did a special handshake. I didn't think it was necessary, but then I remembered that Connor is only fourteen, so I guess it's okay.

Anyways, I can't wait to see where Justin Somper takes the story next. Tide of Terror was a fun book to read. It was a quick read that was just fun. I love the mystery the Vampirates present. I look forward to finding out more about the mysterious captain of the Vampirate ship. I want to know why he wears a mask, and who exactly is behind the mask.

These books were bought for my 8 year old niece. She and her mother read them together and she thoroughly enjoys them. She wants to read each and every one that comes out.

I didn't enjoy the 2nd book as much as I did the first. It had some exciting parts to it but seemed to be more of a build up to what the 3rd book might bring. In this book the twins are reunited. Conner is content on his ship but Grace misses the Vampirate ship and also fears for her brother's life being a pirate. She talks Conner into going to the Pirate Academy for a week. Conner falls in love with the school. Grace is still trying to come to amends on being away from the Vampirates. There is more to come but don't want to ruin it for you. Still an enjoyable book and I recommend it if you like the first. Hope the 3rd book is much better.